Search soapcentral.com

Outside the Brady Pub, Kate told Will about her earlier encounter with Nick, stressing that the conversation needed to remain confidential. Will was surprised to learn that Nick had declined Kate's generous offer, since Nick was going to need to find a good job so that he could support his family.

Kate explained that Nick was arrogantly planning to make her and Sami fight over the so-called privilege to hire him. Kate wondered if Will trusted Nick. Will's silence convinced Kate that he had something that he wanted to tell her. Will sighed as he tried to think of a diplomatic way to answer Kate's question.

"Well, maybe -- maybe he's just trying to do what's best for, you know, his -- his future family, and he overplayed his hand, you know? The point is, I don't want to mess things up for him and Gabi," Will replied. Will's response prompted Kate to guess that he knew something that could cause problems for Nick and Gabi. Will silently recalled the derogatory comment that Nick had recently made about Will's sexuality.

Will admitted that he couldn't explain Nick's behavior, adding that Nick loved Gabi and was probably just trying to take care of her. Kate skeptically stated that Nick had never really had much of a choice in the matter, since he was the father of Gabi's baby. Will assured Kate that Nick wasn't just trying to fulfill an obligation, pointing out that Nick could have chosen to walk away from Gabi instead of proposing to her.

Kate wondered why Will seemed to be invested in Nick and Gabi's future. Will said that he cared about Gabi and wanted her to have a good, happy life. Kate summarized that Will wanted her to overlook Nick's earlier behavior for Gabi's sake. Will started to say that Kate would also be helping him, but he quickly backpedaled and theorized that if Nick was unable to find a job in Salem, Nick and Gabi might move to a different city.

Kate guessed that Will wanted Gabi to remain in Salem because she was going to need the support of her loved ones, and he claimed that her suspicion was correct. "Well, I guess I could see Nick as a man driven by relentless ambition to support his family rather than as a smug, arrogant jackass," Kate reluctantly stated. Will nodded and said that he had heard that relentless ambition was a good thing in the business world.

Kate laughed and countered that relentless ambition had also driven many people off of the rails in the past, and she wondered if that could happen to Nick again. Will shook his head and reasoned that Nick wouldn't do that to Gabi. Kate theorized that Will was concerned about Gabi's future because he wanted her baby's childhood to be better than Will's had been.

"Look, at least Gabi isn't lying about who is the father of her baby, the way your mother did, and the child won't be used as a rope in a game of tug-of-war, the way you were," Kate added. Will dryly stated that Kate was speaking from experience, since she had been pulling on the other end of that rope.

Kate laughed and conceded Will's point, and she assured him that the father of Gabi's baby was going to have a good job with excellent prospects. Will thanked Kate, kissed her on the cheek, and abruptly excused himself. Kate watched as Will walked away, her suspicions seemingly aroused.

At Common Grounds, Adrienne took a break from her errands to spend some time with Sonny. Sonny guessed that Adrienne's errands had included returning a particularly hideous Christmas gift that she had received from Victor. Adrienne joked that someone needed to tell Victor that chandelier earrings were not supposed to be as large as actual chandeliers.

Sonny noted that Adrienne was wearing the scarf that he and Will had given her. Adrienne enthusiastically stated that she loved the scarf, and Sonny informed her that Will had chosen it. Adrienne was pleased that Will had been able to spend some time with Sonny's family during the holidays. Adrienne added that seeing Sonny and Will together had made her wonder why she had ever doubted Will.

Sonny remained silent, and Adrienne asked if something was wrong. Sonny assured Adrienne that he loved Will and wasn't having doubts about him. After stressing that Justin was a great man, Sonny added that Justin's job involved dealing with creeps on a daily basis, and he wondered how Adrienne had learned to handle that. Adrienne jokingly stated that she had made it her mission to make Justin's life miserable.

Unamused, Sonny insisted that he was looking for a serious answer. Adrienne said that she would intervene if she ever saw any indication that Justin's business associations were negatively influencing his behavior. Adrienne added that there were some people in her life who had been known to drive Justin crazy, and she said that she had always tried to be understanding.

Adrienne guessed that someone who was a part of Will's life was driving Sonny crazy. Sonny confirmed Adrienne's suspicion, apologetically informing her that he couldn't elaborate. "Okay. Yeah. Let me just say this, though -- to me, the most important thing is to keep things good between you and the person you love, no matter what it takes," Adrienne advised Sonny.

Later, at the Kiriakis mansion, Adrienne was surprised to see Kate, who had gone to the mansion to deliver Mad World's end-of-the-year report to Victor, since the company's messenger was on vacation. Kate started to leave, but Adrienne stopped her. Adrienne wondered if Will had told Kate that he had spent some time with Sonny's family during the holidays.

"Oh, did you install a metal detector so he wouldn't walk off with the silverware?" Kate dryly asked. Adrienne acknowledged that she had initially been concerned about Sonny's involvement with Will. Kate nodded and declared that Adrienne's concerns were utterly appalling. Kate suggested that it would be best for her and Adrienne to go their separate ways, and she started to exit the mansion.

"I've apologized to Will, but I want you to know that I know how wrong I was about him. I plead guilty to being an overprotective mother. I'm sure you can understand that. I feel so badly that he overheard me. I never, never meant for him to hear that. He's funny, and he's sweet, and I can see how happy he makes my son," Adrienne sincerely stated.

Kate sighed and admitted that she didn't know Sonny very well, adding that she was hoping to change that. Kate conceded that Adrienne and Justin had obviously raised a terrific kid. Kate made another attempt to leave, but Adrienne said that she had something else that she wanted to say.

"I want for Sonny and whoever he falls in love with to have everything that Justin and I had -- and have. And someday, when he's ready, I want to give him away," Adrienne said. Kate said that she wanted the same thing for Will. Adrienne nodded and acknowledged that Sonny and Will could not possibly have a fiercer advocate than Kate, which was something that Adrienne was grateful for.

At St. Luke's, Eric assured Gabi that their conversation would remain confidential. "We've been lying to you," Gabi admitted. Before Gabi could continue, Sami entered the church and announced that she needed to talk to Gabi and Eric about the wedding. Eric asked Sami to leave, but she refused to do so. Sami demanded to know if Eric had said something that had offended Gabi, who seemed upset.

Gabi clarified that she was upset about something that she had done. Before Gabi could continue, Nick entered the church and apologized for his tardiness. Gabi informed Nick that they needed to tell Eric the truth. Eric ordered Sami to leave, and she reluctantly agreed. After Sami left, Gabi reminded Nick that their conversations with Eric were confidential.

Meanwhile, in the church entryway, Will was surprised to see Sami. Sami guessed that Will had gone to the church so that he could talk to Eric about something, and Will confirmed her suspicion. Sami explained that she had gone to the church for the same reason, adding that Eric had thrown her out. Sami revealed that Eric was talking to Gabi and Nick about some sort of lie.

Will started to barge into the main section of the church to find out what was going on, but Sami stopped him. Sami warned that Eric, who was already upset with her, might rip Will's head off if he interrupted the meeting, but Will insisted that he didn't care. Will grabbed his phone and started to compose a text message.

Elsewhere, Nick tried to get Gabi to reconsider, but she insisted that she wanted to tell Eric the truth. Before Gabi could continue, she received a text message from Will. "You were right, and I was wrong. We have to do what's best for the baby," the message read.

Back in the church entryway, Will impatiently asked Sami to leave, but she refused to do so. Sami demanded to know what was going on, but Will knew that she would overreact if he told her the truth. Will added that Sami had started running the show as soon as she had learned that Gabi was pregnant. Sami denied Will's accusation, insisting that she simply wanted Gabi to have a wonderful wedding.

Sami added that she knew exactly what Gabi was going through, but Will countered that Sami wasn't the only person who could relate to the situation. Sami started to respond, but she stopped herself when she realized that she already knew what Gabi was planning to tell Eric. Sami barged into the main section of the church and insisted that she needed to talk to Gabi right away.

Will lurked in the entryway so that Gabi could see him, and he subtly shook his head when their eyes met. Sami pulled Gabi aside and quietly offered to tell Eric the truth about Gabi's date of conception so that Gabi wouldn't have to do so herself. After glancing at Will again, Gabi thanked Sami and promised to handle the situation herself.

Will listened as Gabi admitted that the baby had been conceived much earlier than she had originally claimed. Eric shrugged and dismissively stated that the date of conception wasn't important. Gabi said that she believed that it was important, adding that she had not wanted Eric to judge her and Nick for sleeping together right after they had met each other.

After hearing Gabi's explanation, Will quietly walked away before anyone else could see him. Meanwhile, Eric sighed impatiently and dragged Sami out of the church, warning that they would be talking about her interference later. Eric apologized for Sami's behavior and wondered if Nick and Gabi had anything else that they wanted to tell him.

Gabi and Nick claimed that they had told Eric everything. "Well, I have some news for you. It's one of the reasons why I asked you to come today. I can see you want this...and each other...and I received your baptismal certificate this morning. The bishop -- he's given his consent. I will be happy to marry you here in the church," Eric announced, and Nick and Gabi sighed with relief.

Meanwhile, in the church entryway, Sami muttered that Eric needed to get off of his high horse, adding that he was starting to annoy her. Sami tried to eavesdrop, and Will jokingly warned that she was going to get them both excommunicated. Sami laughed and reported that Gabi and Nick seemed like they were happy about something. Changing the subject, Sami asked about Will and Sonny's relationship.

Will said that his relationship with Sonny was great, and Sami asked if they had made any plans for New Year's Eve. "No, I think we're just gonna stay here in the church and watch the ball drop," Will sarcastically replied. After waiting for Sami's confused reaction, Will confirmed that he and Sonny had made plans to go on a date later that night. Will wondered what Sami was going to do for New Year's Eve.

Sami tried to give Will a vague answer, but he could tell that she was hiding something. Sami reluctantly admitted that she had agreed to go on a date with E.J. Sami braced herself for a lecture, but Will simply shrugged. "It's your life, and I'm not -- I'm not -- it's not for me to judge, so -- and besides, lately, I've begun to see that not everything is black and white," Will cryptically stated before exiting the church.

In Brady's office at Titan, Brady and Kristen started to get dressed as John struggled to process what he had just witnessed. Brady started to say something, but John interrupted him. "So...I was thinking...it being New Year's Eve and all -- Marlena and I were going to spend it with Bo and Hope, but then Bo had to go out of town, so...we've got this table for four, and I was thinking that maybe you and a date -- which I presume would be you, Kristen -- would like to join us tonight," John calmly stated.

Brady reminded John that it was polite to knock before entering a room. John incredulously asked if Brady was really interested in having a conversation about manners. John assumed that Brady was declining the dinner invitation, and he wondered if Kristen shared Brady's disinterest. Kristen remained silent, and John smiled as he suggested that she and Brady could accompany him to the townhouse for a drink before dinner.

Brady asked John to stop playing games. "Fine...but do me a favor, son -- I mean, right after you zip up your fly. Give me your definition of games...because it's pretty obvious that we're not on the same page!" John angrily shouted before storming out of the office. Kristen feigned concern, and Brady assured her that he would handle the situation. Brady quickly chased after John.

After Brady left, Kristen bounced around the office, unable to contain her excitement. Kristen muttered that her plan had taken an unexpected turn, but she quickly reminded herself that she didn't really care how John had learned the truth.

In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Marlena decided that sending John to Brady's office had been a mistake. Marlena tried to call John, hoping to stop him, but the call went straight to voicemail. As Marlena left an urgent message for John, Hope greeted her. Hope wondered what was wrong, and Marlena sighed as she replied that many things were wrong.

Marlena regretfully explained her actions to Hope. "I should have just said the words. I should have said, 'Brady's having sex with Kristen,' or 'Your son is having an affair with your psychotic ex.' I never got the words out," Marlena said with a sigh. Hope struggled to understand why Marlena had decided to hide the truth about Brady and Kristen's relationship from John.

Hope said that if she had learned that Chelsea had been engaging in dangerous activities, she would have told Bo, even if he hadn't actually wanted to hear the truth. Marlena silently recalled an earlier encounter with Kristen, where Kristen had speculated that Marlena had been relieved to learn that Kristen had been sleeping with Brady, since that meant that Kristen wouldn't be sleeping with John.

Marlena vaguely stated that she had several good reasons for keeping the information from John. Hope guessed that Marlena was trying to protect John and Brady's relationship, but Marlena admitted that her motives weren't entirely selfless. Marlena hoped that the selfish reason for hiding the truth hadn't caused her to do something that she would regret for the rest of her life.

Marlena started to rummage through her purse, looking for some aspirin. Hope excused herself so that she could purchase a bottle of water for Marlena. After Hope left, Kristen happily greeted Marlena. Kristen gloated that a lot had happened since the last time that she and Marlena had talked to each other.

Marlena wasn't interested in playing games, so she impatiently encouraged Kristen to reveal what had happened after their last encounter. Kristen said that, while she would love to tell Marlena all of the gory details, she didn't have time to do so. Kristen cryptically added that her New Year's Eve plans had suddenly changed, and she abruptly excused herself.

After Kristen left, Hope returned and wondered if Kristen had said anything about John. Marlena shook her head, and Hope suggested that John might not have gone to Brady's office, reasoning that Kristen would have wanted to taunt Marlena with that information if John had actually interrupted Brady and Kristen's tryst.

In the park, Brady finally managed to catch up to John. "You know, all the way out here, I kept telling myself that, 'Oh, yeah, he's not himself -- he's still grieving over Madison, and the only way that he would ever get into bed with a woman who tried to kill Marlena -- a woman who was almost his stepmother -- was if she somehow had gotten to him.' So please -- please, kid, you tell me that I'm right," John begged Brady.

Brady said that if anyone had been seduced, it had been Kristen. Brady was sorry that John had learned the truth in such a graphic manner, but John countered that he couldn't think of a single good way to receive that particular piece of information. Brady asked for a chance to explain the situation, and John reluctantly agreed to listen.

Brady said that his feelings for Kristen had started to change after he had rescued her from the muggers, adding that he had started to see Kristen as a human being instead of as the devil incarnate. Brady explained that he had been able to relate to Kristen, since they each had a history of self-destructive behavior.

Brady guessed that John was furious, but John clarified that the correct word was disgusted. Brady begged John to promise that he wouldn't take his frustration out on Kristen, who had actually made numerous attempts to end the relationship. Refusing to believe that Brady was really that naïve, John theorized that losing Madison had clouded Brady's judgment.

Brady insisted that his relationship with Kristen had nothing to do with Madison. Brady warned that John was simply going to have to learn how to accept the fact that Brady and Kristen's relationship was real. Brady added that he was glad that everything was finally out in the open. Without waiting for a response, Brady abruptly excused himself so that he could check on Kristen.

After Brady left, John sighed as he tried to figure out how he was going to handle the situation. Meanwhile, John received a phone call from Marlena. When John answered the phone, Marlena asked if he had gone to Brady's office earlier. After offering a succinct confirmation, John abruptly ended the call.

Back at Titan, Brady was surprised to learn that Kristen had disappeared. Later, Marlena entered Brady's office. Brady claimed that he didn't have time to talk to Marlena, but she insisted that she needed to know what was going on. Meanwhile, in Kristen's hotel room, Kristen opened a bottle of champagne and muttered that it was time to celebrate. Someone knocked on Kristen's door.

At the Horton house, Abigail set up the Monopoly board to play a game with Jennifer. When Jennifer asked Abigail if she wanted to ring in the new year with her mother, Abigail smiled and noted that there was no one in the world that she would rather be with.

At the coffeehouse, Chad thought about his conversation with Abigail about her New Year's Eve plan to stay at home and play board games. Chad grabbed two cups of coffee and transported them over to the Horton home. Jennifer invited Chad to join them in their game of Monopoly, and Chad happily accepted. As the three played the game and laughed, Jennifer excused herself to make popcorn in the kitchen.

Abigail told Chad that she was happy that he had stopped by. As Abigail smiled at Chad, she received a text message from her mother. Abigail informed Chad that Jennifer had slipped out of the house for a walk. When Chad asked why, Abigail noted that she did not believe Jennifer was by herself.

At the hospital, Daniel informed Eric that the homeless man he had escorted in for treatment was doing well. Eric remarked that Daniel was a good man for working on New Year's Eve because most people would rather be out celebrating. Changing the subject, Eric noted that he and Daniel shared a mutual friend: Nicole. Eric explained that Nicole was doing well and that she had accepted that Daniel loved someone else.

After Eric left, Jennifer called Daniel on his cell phone at the hospital to ask him what he was doing. As Daniel turned around, he saw Jennifer smiling at him from beside the elevator. Jennifer explained that she wanted to ring in the new year with Daniel and that she had the dessert from their shortened date.

In St. Luke's, Rafe received a call from Sami about the cost of Gabi's dress. Rafe okayed the extra cost for the dress. Sami thanked Rafe and wished him a Happy New Year. Rafe hung up the phone and did not return the sentiment. Rafe walked farther into the church and met up with Nicole for their "date."

After receiving a picture of Gabi's dress on his phone, Rafe showed the photo to Nicole. Nicole was impressed by the dress but disappointed to learn that Sami was helping to plan Gabi's wedding. Nicole joked about Sami, and Rafe swore that Sami was out of his life.

At the Brady Pub, E.J. arrived in his tuxedo to pick up Sami for their date. Sami and E.J. said goodbye to Johnny, then went outside. In front of the pub, Sami and E.J. laughed as they talked about Johnny's list of resolutions. E.J. stared into Sami's eyes and noted that he was a fan of the third resolution on Johnny's list: "be nice to mommy." E.J. tenderly kissed Sami in front of the pub window.

Inside the pub, a surprised Johnny pointed out to Caroline that his parents were kissing. Caroline explained that everyone kissed on New Year's Eve. Outside, Sami remarked that they were kissing in front of the pub window. Grinning, E.J. suggested that they adjourn to another location.

Sami and E.J. walked over to the square and sat at a table. Across the square, Rafe and Nicole arrived. Rafe's face fell as he spotted Sami and E.J. laughing with one another at their table. Nicole teased Rafe about his infatuation with Sami, and she urged him to pursue Sami if he wanted her. Rafe clarified that he was surprised to see Sami and was not sad.

At their table, E.J. told Sami that he had a special bottle of champagne stored at the coffeehouse. With a smile, E.J. excused himself to run over to the coffeehouse and pick up the bottle before midnight. Across the square, Nicole saw E.J. leave, and she told Rafe that he needed to talk to Sami. Nicole told Rafe that she had to run an errand, and she gently shoved Rafe toward Sami as she walked away.

Sami saw Rafe standing by himself, and she walked over and asked Rafe if he had received the photo of Gabi's dress. Rafe remarked that the dress was perfect and that it reminded him of Sami's wedding dress. Taken aback, Sami said that she was surprised that Rafe remembered what she had worn. When Sami asked Rafe why he was at the square with Nicole, Rafe stressed that he was only friends with Nicole. Sami agreed that Rafe's friends were not her business.

Smiling, Sami pulled out her cell phone and showed Rafe pictures of Sydney with her new penguin. Sami informed Rafe that Sydney had named her penguin Rafe. Touched, Rafe smiled, and Sami remarked that he would be a good father some day. Sami sent Rafe the picture of Sydney, and Rafe thanked her for it.

As E.J. waited at the coffeehouse for the waitress to retrieve his bottle of champagne from the back, Nicole entered the room and ruffled her hair. Pretending that she was drunk, Nicole mercilessly flirted with E.J. Unnerved, E.J. kept Nicole at arm's length and informed her that he was worried about her behavior. When the waitress returned with the champagne, Nicole grabbed the bottle and played keep away with it. As E.J. wrested the bottle from Nicole's grip, Nicole "accidentally" threw her drink onto E.J.'s pants.

Annoyed, E.J. attempted to towel his pants off, and Nicole pretended to drunkenly help him pat his pants dry. E.J. looked across the room at the clock, and he was alarmed to note that the clock was close to striking midnight. E.J. started to walk out, and Nicole grabbed his coat from him. When E.J. retrieved his coat from Nicole, he attempted to leave again. Nicole leaped into his arms, wrapped her legs around E.J.'s waist, and she kissed him. Unable to free himself from Nicole's grip, E.J. flailed around as the clock crept closer to a new year.

In Brady's office, Marlena grilled Brady about John. Brady informed Marlena that he had been dating Kristen, and he begged Marlena to understand that his relationship was not about Marlena. When Marlena remained calm, Brady asked why she was not surprised by the news. Avoiding the question, Marlena noted that she was listening to Brady and not reacting to his news, as Brady had requested.

Sighing, Brady said that he wished John had behaved as calmly as Marlena when he found out about Brady's affair with Kristen. Alarmed by the news, Marlena asked what had happened. Brady explained that John had walked in on him and Kristen in an intimate moment. Worried, Marlena started to leave in order to find John. When Brady said he was serious about Kristen, Marlena spun on her heels to face Brady. Marlena argued that she would never accept Kristen with Brady.

Brady argued that he had pursued Kristen, and Marlena countered that Kristen had manipulated Brady into believing that he had pursued Kristen. Insulted by Marlena's comment, Brady noted that he was capable of determining who Kristen was without anyone's aid. Shaking her head, Marlena rushed out in search of John.

In Kristen's hotel room, John demanded answers about her affair with Brady. "You're such an idiot," Kristen snarled as she smiled at John. Kristen noted that she had a lot of feelings for Brady. John argued that Brady's feelings for Kristen were more than physical and that if this was a fling to Kristen, then she needed to let Brady go. When John added that Kristen should cut Brady loose if she was sleeping with him in order to make John jealous, Kristen laughed.

"Do you really think everything is about you?" Kristen asked John. Kristen asked John if he believed that John could leave her begging on her knees and never get up. Shaking her head, Kristen noted that she did not want to be with John, but that she only wanted to hurt him. "It's you," John said with disgust as he noted that the evil Kristen had returned. When John asked about all the coincidences including the little girl in the square, Kristen confirmed that she had planned all of those events.

"So you hate me that much?" John asked. "Yes," Kristen said with a menacing grin. When John grew quiet and appealed to Kristen, she cautioned him to remember that she would not let go of Brady. Kristen stressed that her goal was to hurt John, not Brady. As John argued that Brady would not push him away in favor of Kristen, Kristen wondered aloud if John had ever pushed Brady away from him like he had pushed Kristen away.

Furious, John grabbed Kristen's shoulders and shook her. Kristen howled with laughter as John continued to shake her violently. As John screamed at Kristen to stay away from his son, there was a knock on the door. From the hallway, a security guard asked them to open the door. Kristen opened the door, and she pretended to be shaken up. Kristen politely declined the guard's offer to put John on a watch list, and she noted that John was leaving. Annoyed, John walked out.

Outside the Brady Pub, Marlena ran into Eric. Marlena confided that she had made a mistake and that she had failed to prevent someone from getting hurt. As Eric nodded, John approached them and asked Marlena to talk privately inside. Marlena followed John into the pub, and she informed him that she had spoken with Brady. Scowling, John noted that Kristen had confirmed that she was pursuing Brady in order to exact revenge on John. When John noted that he could not find Brady, Marlena countered that Brady could only be in one place.

When Brady arrived at Kristen's hotel room, she had worked up crocodile tears for him. Pretending to be upset, Kristen told Brady that John had visited her and that he was out of control. Kristen added that John was understandably upset with her because John believed that Kristen was using Brady. Kristen then casually mentioned that a security guard had overheard the altercation and had interrupted the argument.

When Brady asked Kristen if John had attacked her, Kristen noted that she believed John had been too upset to know what he was doing. Brady blamed himself for the argument because he had told both John and Marlena about his relationship with Kristen. When Brady noted what Marlena had said about being blind to Kristen machinations, Kristen shook her head and reasoned that neither John nor Marlena saw Brady as an adult.

Kristen wondered aloud how her relationship with Brady could work with John and Marlena so violently opposed to it. Brady argued that John and Marlena needed time to understand and that things would work out eventually. Smiling, Kristen agreed and asked Brady to pour champagne. As Kristen and Brady kissed, there was a knock at the door. The kissing couple ignored the knock at first, but they were aware that they had a visitor when John kicked the hotel room door in.

As the countdown to midnight started, Sami and Rafe stood next to one another. "Happy New Year!" the crowd yelled. Sami awkwardly patted Rafe on the back as she walked away. Rafe grabbed her hand, then pulled her into a kiss.

"This is the only place I want to be right now," Jennifer whispered to Daniel in the privacy of the hospital lounge. As the fireworks exploded outside, Daniel leaned over and kissed Jennifer softly.

At Common Grounds, Nicole had jumped on E.J. and was kissing him insistently, her legs wrapped around his waist, when Will and Sonny walked in and spotted them. While the guys watched from across the room, E.J. finally managed to shove Nicole off of him. Still pretending to be drunk, Nicole just giggled and told E.J. to "take a chill pill." Sonny followed as Will approached E.J. and asked where Sami was.

E.J. groused that Sami was waiting in the square for the champagne, but Nicole had detained him. He asked Will to make sure that the inebriated Nicole made it back to the church all right, and then stalked out. Nicole informed Will and Sonny that she'd merely been pretending to be drunk. "Just doing my part to help people who are supposed to be together get together," she explained vaguely. With an approving grin, Nicole noted that clearly Will and Sonny did not need her help, and then she sashayed out.

Sonny asserted that Nicole completely baffled him then explained that he needed to stick around until closing. Will reluctantly agreed that it was okay with him -- as long as the two of them got to spend the first night of 2013 alone together. "I can't think of a better way to start the year," Sonny declared. A beaming Will leaned across the table for a kiss.

As midnight arrived in Horton Square, Rafe impulsively pulled Sami into a passionate kiss. "Happy New Year," Rafe declared. A clearly dazed Sami returned the sentiment just as Gabi and Nick arrived in the square. Gabi enthused about the picture she'd received from Sami of Abigail's bridesmaid's dress and about how amazing everything was going to be.

A breathless E.J. rushed up just then, apologized for missing the stroke of midnight, grabbed Sami, and kissed her deeply -- while Gabi, Nick, and Rafe watched uncomfortably. Afterward, E.J. made small talk with Nick and Gabi about the wedding preparations and what a big help Sami had surely been. Rafe hastily made an excuse to leave, and Nick and Gabi left with him.

Sami inquired as to what had taken E.J. so long. "Let's just say I was waylaid by Nicole," he replied sheepishly. He filled Sami in on most of what had happened, concluding with, "She seemed determined as hell to keep me from spending the new year with you." Sami recalled how Nicole had blown her a kiss from across the square, and the pieces began to fall into place.

E.J. asked if Sami were upset that he'd missed ringing in the new year with her. Sami pointed out that midnight was just the beginning of their night together, as well as the upcoming year. E.J. then got a text message, and after reading it, claimed that his assistant hadn't sent the bid to Beijing. E.J. had to deal with it right away but invited Sami to accompany him to the office so they could continue their evening immediately afterward. Sami agreed, so they left the square together hand-in-hand.

As Rafe, Nick, and Gabi strolled through the park on their way out of the square, Gabi divulged that she and Nick had seen Rafe kissing Sami. "Must've been kind of weird seeing her kiss E.J., like, five minutes later," Nick noted with concern. Rafe pointed out that E.J. had kissed Sami, not the other way around -- but Rafe didn't want to discuss it. He instructed Nick to make sure that Gabi made it home safely. The three wished one another a happy new year, and then parted ways.

Nick and Gabi went to Common Grounds because she was craving one of the coffee shop's pastries. They were surprised to find Will sitting alone at a table. Will explained that he was just waiting while Sonny took care of business. While Gabi went to the counter, Nick asked if Will had made any new year's resolutions. "I resolved that if you ever call me 'gay boy' again, I'm going to have to beat the bigotry right out of you," Will affirmed.

Nick responded with sarcastic fear, so Will asked how Gabi was handling Nick's obvious homophobia. Nick expressed his regret for using that particular expression and for offending Will. Will said that as long as Nick was sincere, then everything was fine, since they all wanted what was best for the baby -- but he warned Nick, "If I thought for a second that my child was going to be raised by a bigot, that wouldn't be best for the baby...and I wouldn't let that person anywhere near my child."

Nick countered that Gabi had been an emotional wreck when they'd met, partly because Will had confused her. He added that they were going to have a big problem if Will was going to threaten to take the baby away every time Nick and Gabi didn't do things the way that Will would have done them. Nick pointed out that Will had agreed to let the whole world think that the baby was Nick's -- and that meant that Will did not get to have an opinion about anything. "This has nothing to do with you being gay, okay? But you've got to man up and stand by the decision you've made," Nick ordered.

At the counter, Gabi suggested to Sonny that the two of them try to start the new year with a clean slate. She clarified that although she knew they couldn't really be friends again, she hoped they could learn to tolerate each other for Will's sake, since they both really cared about him. Sonny replied that he loved Will and would do anything for him, even if that included learning to tolerate Gabi -- but if she ever did anything to hurt Will, she would have to deal with Sonny.

Later, at Sonny's apartment, Will and Sonny got into bed together. Will noticed that an old cocoa tin had appeared on the nightstand since the last time he'd been there. Sonny explained that since he'd been a kid, he'd written down his new year's resolutions and put them in the tin, and at the end of the year, he'd taken them out to see how he'd done. Will asked how Sonny had done in 2012. Sonny didn't want to show him, but Will grabbed the tin and opened it over Sonny's meek protests.

Will took out the single resolution inside and read it aloud, "2012: Get Will Horton to fall in love with me." He accused Sonny of having just put that resolution in there a few minutes earlier, but Sonny swore that he had written it the year before. "It's what I wanted all year," Sonny declared sincerely. Touched, Will kissed Sonny tenderly.

Rafe went to St. Luke's, where he found Nicole straightening up in the sanctuary. As Rafe looked thoughtfully around the room, Nicole guessed that he was thinking about his sister's wedding and asserted that Gabi was going to be a beautiful bride. Rafe noted that after Nicole had followed E.J. out of the square, E.J. had somehow not made it back to the square before midnight. Nicole asked if Rafe had seized the moment.

Pointing out that Nicole couldn't stand Sami, Rafe demanded to know why Nicole had gone to so much trouble to make sure that he was with Sami at midnight. Nicole explained that she was trying to be a better person -- plus, she added reluctantly, "The best version of Sami I've ever seen is the version of her with you." Nicole repeated her question about what had happened after she'd left Sami and Rafe alone. Smiling at the memory, Rafe admitted that they had kissed.

Nicole was excited to hear that, but added, "I bet that's nothing compared to the way I kissed E.J.!" She continued that while she was completely over E.J., it was obvious that Rafe was not over Sami. "You got it bad, Hernandez!" Nicole teased, patting Rafe playfully on the cheek. Rafe admitted that Sami was still in his head, but he couldn't stand not knowing where he stood with her. "That being said, I am a little bit optimistic after tonight," he added with a sly smile. When Nicole asked if that meant Rafe thought he'd made some headway against the competition, he replied confidently, "What competition?"

Sami and E.J. arrived outside E.J.'s office, still carrying their champagne glasses from the square. E.J. unlocked the door and opened it for Sami, revealing a romantic dinner table for two inside. When Sami asked why he'd set it up in his office, he explained that on New Year's Eve, a restaurant might have been too noisy, and his apartment might have seemed too "aggressive" for a first date. Sami pointed out that they could hardly consider it a first date.

E.J. stated that he'd selected the menu based on everything that he knew Sami loved, down to the wine. He added that the view was the finest in the city -- but clarified that he didn't mean the view out the window. Sami was flattered. E.J. explained that he'd thought the office was a good place to celebrate their falling into a comfortable rhythm again. Sami countered, "Some people would say it's just work, if you can call lipstick 'work.'" They raised their glasses and toasted to their new product line.

"You've changed," Sami noted quietly. She added that she probably had some explaining to do to her friends and family, because they knew that she was thinking about being with E.J. again. A phone call from Lucas interrupted Sami's train of thought. She explained to E.J. that Lucas was keeping the kids, so E.J. insisted that she take the call. After speaking briefly with Lucas, Sami informed E.J. that Allie had a fever. E.J. urged her to go home and take care of her daughter.

"This is something I'll never forget," Sami assured E.J. as he pulled out her chair. She thanked him earnestly, kissed him goodbye, then hurried out the door. In the hallway, Sami found a noisemaker from the party in her hand beside her clutch purse, and momentarily allowed herself to recall Rafe's kiss at midnight. With a deep, determined breath, she strode off toward the elevator. Meanwhile, alone in his office, E.J. raised his glass hopefully, "To the woman I love."

Kristen and Brady were ringing in the new year with a kiss in her hotel room when John kicked in the door and stormed into the room, with Marlena right behind him. "Get the hell away from her!" John ordered Brady. "Dad, don't you do this!" an angry Brady pleaded, holding his arm protectively around Kristen while she cowered with mock terror. John declared that Kristen had been using Brady all along -- and Brady was "a damn fool" for falling for it. Brady and Marlena urged John to calm down, but John continued his tirade that Kristen had only seduced Brady to get back at John.

John turned and apologized to Marlena for not believing that Kristen was the same conniving, manipulative bitch she'd always been. Brady became even more furious, but Marlena pointed out that she and John had no reason to lie to Brady. Kristen sank onto the edge of the bed in tears and imploringly asked Brady, "Do you believe them? Do you believe that everything that's happened between us is just a lie?"

Before Brady could respond, the security guard returned. Indicating John as well as the damage to the doorframe, the man asked, "Is this man causing trouble for you again, Ms. DiMera?" Kristen meekly assured the guard that she would pay for any damages, and that Mr. Black and his wife were just leaving. The security guard warned, "This hotel has a no-tolerance policy for violence. This man has laid hands on you once tonight." Turning to John, he continued, "Next time, the hands are going to be on you."

After the guard left, Brady acknowledged that it had been wrong to keep his affair with Kristen from his father. Brady then strongly suggested that John and Marlena should leave. "Sorry, I'm not going anywhere without you, son. In fact, I'm not leaving you alone with this woman ever again," John growled. Brady pulled Kristen aside and apologetically said that he needed to speak with his father in private. He kissed her hands and assured her that everything would be fine, and then the men left together.

Kristen closed the door behind John and Brady before Marlena could follow them. "What if we let our boys go have their little talk, and we girls get something straight?" Kristen purred. Marlena declared that there was nothing to get straight, because John had told her about Kristen's plan to get even. She continued that once Brady understood how Kristen had been using him to get revenge against John and realized what an "evil wretch" Kristen was, Kristen wouldn't want to stick around Salem for long.

Kristen wondered aloud whether Marlena had finally told John how long she'd been keeping the truth from him about Brady and Kristen's affair. When she saw Marlena's stone-faced response, Kristen realized that Marlena had done no such thing, and taunted Marlena about it. As Marlena headed for the door, Kristen asked if John had told Marlena everything that he and Kristen had discussed. Kristen maintained that John was irrationally jealous that she could love someone besides him.

Although Marlena vehemently denied that John was irrational or jealous, Kristen asserted that it all boiled down to whose version of the truth Brady believed: Marlena's or Kristen's. Marlena declared that she loved Brady as much as if he were her own flesh and blood, and she intended to stand by John and not let Kristen hurt Brady.

Marlena tried to leave again, but Kristen blocked the door. Marlena warned Kristen that if she didn't move out of the way, "You'll be leaving here on a gurney." Kristen made a catty comment about Marlena being in her "dotage," and continued with a taunt about how, by the next New Year's Eve, Marlena might be Kristen's stepmother-in-law. Asserting her belief that Brady was about to end things with Kristen for good, Marlena stormed out. Kristen grabbed her jacket and purse and followed.

In the park, Brady apologized again to John for pressuring Kristen into keeping their affair a secret -- but Brady hadn't wanted to hurt anyone, especially John. "You don't have to apologize, son. You just need to listen," John said. Brady sat on the bench and asked his father, "Tell me about Kristen DiMera. What is it about her that I don't know?"

John explained that Kristen had an insatiable appetite for revenge -- and she had even admitted that her sole motive for returning to Salem had been to hurt John and Marlena by going after Brady. John continued that he didn't blame Brady for becoming a pawn in the elaborate scheme she'd been plotting for years. "She is the most conniving, black-hearted person I have ever known -- and given my life, kid, that is saying a lot. So don't let her ruin us," John pleaded.

Through gritted teeth, Brady clarified, "You're saying that everything Kristen has done is a plot, that every experience I've had with her is a lie, that every feeling I've ever felt for her is a complete falsehood because it's all part of some scenario to get back at you and Marlena?" John confirmed it, adding that Brady's affair with Kristen had to end that very night.

Brady asserted that Kristen had warned him that John would make everything about himself, but she was truly trying to better herself. John was incredulous, but Brady pointed out that John had been the one who'd tried to convince him from the beginning that Kristen had changed. John acknowledged that he just hadn't seen the truth, but Brady asserted that John had only seen the truth when he'd learned that Brady and Kristen were sleeping together.

Brady contended that John couldn't stand it that Brady cared about someone whom John had once cared about. "And the truth is it wouldn't matter who it was, because you can't stomach the idea of anybody else being with her except you," Brady maintained. John calmly avowed that all he felt for Kristen was disgust. Brady asked what else but jealousy could have caused John to go from asserting that Kristen had changed to being sickened to find out that she and Brady were together.

"Because she told me that she was using you, son, to get back at you," John reiterated. Brady believed that John had only heard what he'd wanted to hear, and because Kristen had been so terrified that John would find out the truth, she had probably been defensive when John had confronted her. "Why don't you give me a little credit?" Brady demanded.

John argued that he couldn't give Brady credit for letting a "sociopathic maniac" fool him into believing that she cared about anything but her obsession for revenge against anyone who wasn't named DiMera. Brady pointed out that John had lost it after finding out about Kristen and Brady. "And then you put your hands on her like you owned her," Brady snarled. He started to return to Kristen, but John grabbed him by the arm and shouted his warning, "Stay away from that manipulative bitch!"

Furious, Brady punched John so hard that he fell to the ground and skidded across the pavement. Brady ordered his father to never talk about Kristen like that again. Brady turned to go, but John got up and slammed him against the wall to keep him from leaving. The two began wrestling and throwing punches in earnest, until both men were bleeding. As they continued brawling, suddenly Marlena showed up. She bellowed for them to stop, but her shouts fell on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Kristen arrived in time to witness the two men fighting. Remaining hidden from the others, she threw her head back and laughed with malevolent delight.

At Countess Wilhelmina, E.J. entered his office and greeted Sami, interrupting her recollection of the New Year's Eve kiss that she had shared with Rafe. After declaring that Sami looked absolutely radiant, E.J. asked about Allie. Sami reported that Allie's fever had subsided.

"So...that, uh, that look that you had when I -- I walked through the door...were you thinking about me? Be honest, now. A little bit? Because I have to admit, I've been thinking about you and last night somewhat obsessively," E.J. admitted. E.J. started to kiss Sami's hand, but she pulled it away and abruptly changed the subject, insisting that they needed to focus on their ad campaign.

Sami opened her laptop so that she could show E.J. the new ad that she had designed, resisting his repeated attempts to kiss her. Meanwhile, E.J. received a phone call from his secretary, who reported that Eric was looking for Sami. At Sami's request, E.J. reluctantly agreed to grant Eric access to the office.

Eric entered and explained that he had been trying to contact Sami. Sami realized that she had left her cell phone in her office, and she wondered what was going on. Eric told Sami about John and Brady's fight, adding that they had been taken to the emergency room. Father Tobias, who had been at the hospital earlier, had informed Eric that Kristen had somehow been involved.

Sami glared at E.J. and demanded an explanation, but he claimed that the only thing that he had heard was that Kristen and Brady had been working together on the church board. Sami stormed out of the office, vowing to find out what had happened, and Eric followed her. E.J. sighed and reluctantly exited the room.

At Common Grounds, Nicole impatiently waited for Rafe to give her an update on the status of his relationship with Sami, but he chose to act coy. Undeterred, Nicole wondered if Rafe was aware of the number of laws of decency that she had broken in order to give him an opportunity to kiss Sami the previous night. "Well, for you, I'm guessing...none?" Rafe dryly replied.

Nicole gasped with mock indignation, and she insisted that she had earned the right to hear about all of the juicy details. Rafe shrugged and explained that there was nothing to report, since he had not talked to Sami after they had kissed each other. Nicole could tell that the kiss had restored Rafe's confidence, but she was less optimistic.

"This is Sami we're talking about -- she can turn on a dime. It's been -- what, several hours now?" Nicole asked. Nicole reminded Rafe that Sami had left the party with E.J., but Rafe wasn't concerned about that. Rafe felt like he had crossed a rubicon with Sami, and he matter-of-factly stated that her feelings for E.J. were starting to melt away.

"You need a little age-old advice about us females, okay? So here it goes -- I know you guys like to be all cool and detached, and you're like, 'Hey, maybe I'll just give her a call in a few days, or a week, or a month, or something.' Okay, that doesn't make us fall in love with you, okay? We like to be pursued, you know? Like the Minnesota man falling in love with the Mississippi girl and moving all the way to Biloxi, right? Us dolls like to know that you guys want us in your life," Nicole explained.

Rafe failed to recognize the Guys and Dolls reference, but he insisted that Nicole's rules did not apply to his relationship with Sami. Nicole believed that Rafe was being ridiculous, but he refused to change his mind, firmly stating that if Sami wanted to give their relationship another chance, she was going to have to contact him.

Nicole reluctantly agreed to drop the subject. "I mean, who am I to -- to give advice, right? I mean, I've read a -- a million books, articles, and blogs on how to get a man to commit to a woman, and...you know, even though it's worked for a little while, it always turned out to be a huge disaster, so maybe I should take a page out of your book," Nicole admitted.

Rafe was certain that Nicole, who was funny and beautiful, would eventually find the right person to share her life with. Nicole thanked Rafe for the compliments, adding that she appreciated the fact that he had kept her from thinking about Daniel on New Year's Eve. Rafe suggested that he wasn't the only person who had distracted Nicole the previous night.

Nicole laughed as she realized that Rafe was referring to E.J. "Would you get it through your thick, alpha male skull, please? Okay, E.J. is about as attractive to me as a school bus fire," Nicole insisted. Nicole said that she had kissed E.J. so that she could help Rafe, adding that she had decided to focus on her career instead of focusing on men.

Rafe assumed that Nicole was joking, but she assured him that her job at the church was challenging and fulfilling. Nicole added that she was grateful that Eric had taken a chance on her when no one else had been willing to do so. Nicole wished that she could repay Eric, and she admitted that she had been trying too hard to do so lately.

Rafe smirked, but Nicole assured him that she wasn't talking about what he thought that she was talking about. Nicole told Rafe about her earlier argument with Eric. Rafe feigned outrage when he learned that he had been Nicole's backup date for New Year's Eve, but she reminded him that they had not actually gone on a date.

Nicole regretted the things that she had said to Eric earlier. Rafe advised Nicole to apologize to Eric, and she agreed to do so. "I know that Sami is going to make you miserable...in the long run, anyway...but I know that you wouldn't have it any other way, and because I like you so much, I want you to get everything you want," Nicole sincerely stated. Rafe thanked Nicole, who excused herself so that she could talk to Eric.

At the hospital, Cameron examined Brady, who insisted that he didn't want to talk about his earlier fight with John. Elsewhere, Kayla reported that John's ribs were bruised, but not cracked, as he had originally suspected. Kayla was concerned about John and Brady's fight, but John refused to discuss the situation with her.

Meanwhile, in the waiting area, Kristen approached Marlena and said that it was a shame that Brady and John had been unable to settle their argument without resorting to physical violence. Marlena wasn't fooled, knowingly stating that Kristen couldn't possibly be more pleased about the physical and emotional pain that her actions had caused.

Before Kristen could respond, Kayla interrupted and announced that John had asked to see Marlena. After Marlena left, Kayla demanded to know what Kristen was doing at the hospital. Refusing to answer Kayla's question, Kristen abruptly excused herself. Kristen located Brady's examination room and tearfully informed him that she had done a terrible thing. Brady refused to let Kristen blame herself for what had happened.

Kristen claimed that she had never intended to drive a wedge between Brady and John. Kristen added that she would never be able to live with herself if her relationship with Brady ended up destroying his relationship with John. Brady insisted that there was nothing to worry about, but Kristen wasn't convinced.

"We have to fight our attraction for each other. We have to do the right thing, and we have to walk away from each other. I mean this from the bottom of my heart, Brady, okay? We've got to stop this right now -- for good," Kristen firmly stated. Brady refused to go along with Kristen's plan, assuring her that he and John would eventually be able to repair the damage that had been done to their relationship.

Kristen accused Brady of being naïve. Brady started to protest, but a sharp pain quickly silenced him. Concerned, Kristen urged Brady to relax. Brady claimed that he was fine, adding that he would feel much better if Kristen promised to stop thinking about ending their relationship. Kristen noncommittally stated that she would think about granting Brady's wish.

Cameron returned to check on Brady, who reported that one of his bandages had been dislodged earlier. As Cameron started to fix the bandage, Kristen excused herself, urging Brady to get some rest. Meanwhile, in the waiting area, E.J. tried to convince Maxine to talk about John and Brady's conditions, pompously claiming that the DiMera family had built half of the hospital.

"But you're not a member of this family, Mr. DiMera. Not to mention...they hate your guts," Maxine matter-of-factly stated before walking away. After Maxine left, Kristen approached E.J., who demanded to know what was going on. Kristen shrugged and nonchalantly replied that John had learned that she was having an affair with Brady.

In John's examination room, Marlena hugged John, who conceded that he never should have trusted Kristen. John apologized for doubting Marlena, who sighed as she silently recalled an earlier encounter with Kristen. Marlena admitted that there was something that she needed to tell John. Before Marlena could continue, Sami interrupted, ignoring Eric's advice to knock before entering the room.

Sami wondered what had happened. John vaguely stated that things had gotten out of hand, but Sami wasn't satisfied with that response. Marlena didn't want to elaborate, insisting that John needed some time to relax, but he decided that it would be best to explain the situation right away, since he didn't want Sami and Eric to hear about it from someone else.

Sami was shocked to learn that Brady was having an affair with Kristen. "You would think that Brady has more brains than that. Where is he? Where's that gullible nitwit?" Sami wondered. Sami assumed that Brady had only slept with Kristen once, but John and Marlena's silence quickly dispelled that belief. When John refused to elaborate, Sami vowed that she would get the information out of Brady.

Sami started to leave, but Eric and Marlena stopped her. Marlena didn't want Sami to lash out at Brady, who had already been through enough recently. Eric volunteered to talk to Brady, but Sami was determined to accompany him. Eric firmly denied Sami's request, but she ignored his instructions and followed him out of the room, muttering that she was going to give Brady a piece of her mind.

In the waiting area, Eric grabbed Sami's arm and reiterated that she needed to leave Brady alone. Sami groaned with frustration as she watched Eric walk away. Sami saw Kayla standing nearby and innocently tried to get some information out of her. Kayla assured Sami that John and Brady's injuries were minor. Changing the subject, Sami wondered if Kayla had seen E.J. at the hospital recently.

Kayla revealed that E.J. was talking to Kristen in a nearby break room. Shocked to learn that Kristen was at the hospital, Sami rushed off to confront her. Meanwhile, in the break room, E.J. wondered why Kristen had neglected to inform him that she had been sleeping with Brady. Kristen said that she had once tried to tell E.J., adding that she had been unable to do so because Sami had been eavesdropping.

"You do understand that this situation here has the potential not just to be rabidly inflammatory, but to be a complete and utter disaster?" E.J. asked, and Kristen nodded with disinterest. E.J. demanded an explanation, but Kristen calmly pointed out that she didn't have to explain her actions to him.

E.J. wondered if Kristen had bothered to think about the negative impact that her relationship with Brady could have on his relationship with Sami. Kristen confirmed that she had considered that possibility. "This is a bump in the road. If you can't deal with it, get out of the street," Kristen added with a shrug. Before E.J. could respond, Sami stormed into the room.

"You slept with Brady -- the son of the man that you were obsessed with! It's creepy. It's -- it's disgusting. It's despicable," Sami angrily stated as she glared at Kristen. E.J. urged Sami and Kristen to refrain from making a scene. Kristen claimed that she hadn't planned to get involved with Brady, but Sami wasn't convinced.

"Everybody in this town is so damned predictable. You hear my name, you assume that I have some evil scheme -- out to destroy everybody's lives! Come on," Kristen said, mimicking a classic horror film announcer's voice. Still skeptical, Sami insisted that Kristen had only slept with Brady so that she could destroy Marlena and John's lives.

"There's lots and lots...and lots...of reasons I'd sleep with Brady, Sami, but I'm too much of a lady to get into it here," Kristen countered, adding that she had never intended to hurt John or Brady. Sami lunged at Kristen, but E.J. grabbed Sami and escorted her out of the room. Before exiting the room, E.J. turned and sarcastically thanked Kristen for everything that she had done.

In Brady's examination room, Eric wondered if Brady had ever considered the ramifications of sleeping with Kristen. Brady wasn't interested in discussing the matter with Eric, who asked if Brady would prefer to talk to Sami. Brady snapped that he didn't want to talk to anyone who was unwilling to support his relationship with Kristen, and he asked Eric to leave.

Meanwhile, Cameron entered the room so that he could give Brady some pain pills. Eric informed Cameron that Brady was a recovering addict, but Brady assured Eric that Cameron was already aware of that fact. Cameron apologetically stated that Brady needed to get some rest, and Brady agreed, dismissively urging Eric to do his good deeds elsewhere.

In the waiting area, E.J. tried to convince Sami to accompany him to a place where they could discuss the situation privately, but she refused to do so. Sami was determined to talk to Brady, but Eric, who had heard her shouting, informed her that Cameron had stopped letting visitors enter Brady's room. E.J. repeated his earlier suggestion, but Sami insisted that she didn't want to talk to E.J.

E.J. incredulously asked if Sami was upset with him. "I am furious at your sister for what she has done to everyone, so yes, if you want to call it guilt by association, or whatever you lawyers call it, then fine. I can't even look at you right now!" Sami snapped. Before E.J. could respond, Sami stormed off, and Eric followed her. E.J. sighed as he watched Sami walk away.

Back in John's examination room, John wondered what Marlena had been trying to tell him earlier. Before Marlena could respond, Kayla entered the room and explained that she needed to run a few more tests. Marlena nodded and excused herself, assuring John that she would return as soon as she was allowed to do so.

In the waiting area, E.J. tried to call Sami, but the call went to voicemail. After ending the call, E.J. angrily blamed Kristen. E.J. approached Marlena, who was standing nearby, and asked her about John. "So you know what your sister's done. She's a dangerous sociopath. She hurts people to make herself feel more powerful, and she will do the same thing to you -- mark my words," Marlena warned E.J.

In the break room, Kristen received a text message from Stefano. "'Happy New Year to my beautiful daughter. How is everything going?' Well, everything is going great. I think this is going to be the best year of my life, Daddy," Kristen muttered as she composed a reply.

At St. Luke's, Eric advised Sami to calm down and let John and Marlena handle the situation. "Calm down? Are you kidding me? How naïve are you? This nightmare, Eric, is just beginning!" Sami assured Eric. Before Eric could respond, Sami stormed out of the church. Later, Nicole greeted Eric and apologized for what she had said earlier. Eric accepted the apology, but he was clearly distracted.

Nicole could tell that something was wrong, and she begged Eric to talk to her. Nicole assured Eric that he could talk to her about anything. "Nicole! Not this. I can't," Eric cryptically stated, and he abruptly left the room.

At the Horton Town Square, Sami noticed that several half-eaten boxes of food had been left on a bench. Annoyed, Sami grabbed the boxes and starting tossing them into a nearby trashcan. "Filthy, disgusting, and careless! Man, people have no common courtesy anymore! Disgusting!" Sami impatiently muttered as she disposed of the containers. Rafe stood nearby and watched with amusement.

Back at the hospital, Kristen entered John's examination room. John sighed impatiently and told Kristen to leave, firmly stating that they were done.

"Oh, John -- we're not done. We're just beginning," Kristen said with a smile.

As E.J. entered the Brady Pub, he was leaving an angry message for Kristen. Kate overheard and surmised that E.J. had finally realized that his sister truly was a DiMera. E.J. asserted that Kate didn't know anything about Kristen, but Kate countered that E.J. should at least watch his back. Noting that Kate seemed to be in a great mood, E.J. wondered why that was. Kate cheerfully declared that it was because she was finally free of someone with whom she'd been obsessed -- although she knew that E.J. would never understand what that felt like.

Kate added that she had just gotten a clean bill of health from her oncologist, and E.J. seemed sincerely happy to hear it. Kate said that she was going to celebrate by visiting Cassie and Rex, as well as Philip and Parker. She added that she hoped E.J. would eventually see the light where Sami was concerned, especially since Ms. Brady always seemed torn between two or three men. "I don't think Rafe is any match for me," E.J. declared confidently. Kate agreed, but warned E.J. that even if Rafe weren't a problem, Kristen might be one. Ignoring her, E.J. expressed his hopes that Kate had a wonderful trip. Kate then strolled out.

In Horton Square, Rafe watched as Sami virtually had a tantrum over some takeout food containers left on a bench. He approached as she shoved the boxes into a trashcan, and he asked if she were all right. "Kristen DiMera is trying to destroy my family," Sami declared irritably.

Rafe followed Sami to the park outside the square entrance as she ranted about how Kristen had swooped in on a grieving Brady. "She has this way about her that she can make men do things that they wouldn't normally do," Sami asserted. Rafe pointed out that they'd only heard the details of what had happened secondhand, but even if what Sami had heard was the truth, "Is what she did really that much worse than some of the things you've done?"

Sami was incredulous that Rafe would compare her to "that evil psychopath" Kristen. Rafe tried to backpedal, but Sami only got more offended. Rafe asked if maybe Kristen and Brady could have real feelings for one another, but Sami declared that it was not possible. Rafe noted that despite everything Brady knew about Kristen, he'd been unable to resist her and had been like putty in her hands. Rafe added that was just the way things worked with men and women.

Sami wondered if Rafe were talking about Kristen or about Sami. Exasperated, Sami grabbed her purse from the bench to leave. "Why am I even talking to you about this? You don't understand. You don't care," she muttered. Assuring her that he did care, Rafe grabbed Sami and kissed her. Although she kissed him back at first, Sami shoved him away indignantly. She maintained that by comparing her to Kristen, Rafe had put her down and made her feel bad about herself.

Sami declared that, just like on New Year's Eve, Rafe's kiss didn't mean anything. "Does this mean anything?" he asked, then pulled her in for another, more passionate kiss. Rafe then had to leave to talk to the DJ about Nick and Gabi's wedding, but noted that he and Sami would be spending a lot of time together over the next few days. The kisses had clearly flustered Sami, so Rafe declared, "You'd better figure out how you're going to break it to E.J. ... As much as you try and deny it, you don't want him. You want me." Rafe turned and went back into the square.

Sami sat on the bench to try to compose herself. Finally she stood up and admonished herself, "Stop, Sami. Just stop thinking about it! Why don't you just focus on something you can do something about?" She strode purposefully through the entrance to the square.

When Rafe bumped into Kate in the square, he thanked her for the generous job offer she'd made to Nick. Kate maintained that it hadn't been out of charity; she knew Nick would be a valuable employee -- although he'd driven a hard bargain. She hoped that Nick would take good care of Gabi and the baby. Rafe was just glad that Nick wasn't working for the DiMeras -- and that they all finally seemed to be rid of Stefano for good. "Well, likewise. I'm glad to hear that you're rid of Sami. Let's hope it stays that way -- forever," Kate declared cheerfully before continuing on her way through the square.

At the hospital, Marlena entered Brady's exam room and found him fiddling with his cell phone. Guessing that he was texting Kristen, Marlena cautioned her stepson not to have anything to do with Kristen ever again. Marlena acknowledged how much John and Brady loved each other, but maintained that what was happening between Brady and Kristen was not love. Brady got defensive, so Marlena ordered him to hear her out. Brady didn't buy that Kristen had admitted she was trying to hurt John for all the pain he'd caused years earlier.

"Why would he lie to you? Has he ever lied to you?" Marlena asked. When Brady couldn't answer affirmatively, Marlena asserted that Kristen was the one who was lying to Brady. Brady reminded Marlena that the two of them had read Kristen's journal together, and he didn't believe Kristen could have planned for that -- and Kristen had not had Marlena arrested because Brady had asked her not to. "Can you offer me one little shred of proof that Kristen's been lying to me?" Brady asked.

Privately, Marlena recalled that she had walked in on Kristen and Brady together but Kristen hadn't told him about it. Marlena then stated that she needed to speak with John for a few minutes, but afterwards, perhaps she and Brady could continue their conversation. "This doesn't make me happy, you know. I'm not getting any satisfaction from this. I just want you happy," she assured Brady softly. Brady replied that Kristen made him happy. Maxine interrupted to check Brady's vital signs, so Marlena left without another word.

John ordered Kristen to leave his exam room, but instead, she took off her jacket and got comfortable. Kristen coyly guessed that it had been Brady and not John who had thrown the first punch. John tried not to rise to the bait as Kristen asserted that he had been hurt and angry but also jealous when he'd witnessed her and Brady making love on Brady's desk. "Why don't you just admit it? You'll feel a lot better. You still want me very, very badly," Kristen contended.

John denied that he was jealous or that he had any feelings for the psychotic Kristen. Kristen said that John had driven her mad, because he had been her entire world, but he had just thrown her away. She asked if John had ever thought about her over the years, and he reminded her that he'd thought she was dead. Kristen maintained that Stefano had been the only one who had cared about her enough to save her. "One thing I learned is that maybe you can't completely and totally get over your great love -- but you sure as hell can replace it," Kristen declared.

John contended that Kristen didn't love Brady, but she merely replied that they would just have to see how the whole thing played out. Kristen pulled on her jacket and prepared to leave but first pointed out, "I did not plan how this whole thing happened. I couldn't have, and you know it." She wondered how John had known that he'd find Kristen and Brady together, but John insisted that he hadn't. Kristen asked why, then, John had gone to Brady's office. Although he didn't answer Kristen's question, John remembered how Marlena had pointed him in the direction of Brady's office.

Just then, Marlena walked in and glared at Kristen. Kristen seemed to revel in the tension for a moment then sauntered out of the room. Marlena told John that she had just been trying to talk some sense into Brady, but she observed that her husband seemed distracted. John explained that he had just recalled that Marlena had been the one who had sent him to Brady's office when John had found Brady and Kristen together.

Marlena wondered what Kristen had said to manipulate John, but he only wanted to know why Marlena had sent him to Brady's office -- and if she'd known what he would find when he walked in. "After talking to Brady, I realized that I had to tell you first...what I knew about Brady and Kristen," Marlena began. "Did you know my son was sleeping with Kristen?" John demanded.

Kristen went into Brady's room and apologized for what had happened, because she had never wanted him to get hurt. Brady reminded her that she had promised to give some thought to what they had discussed earlier. Kristen quietly said that she didn't want to get between Brady and his family or force him to choose between her and them. Pulling her to him, Brady reassured her, "You aren't forcing me to do anything. I just want you...so please, please don't tell me that you're going to end this."

As she looked into Brady's eyes, Kristen whispered, "God help me, I don't think I can." The two began to kiss, but then Sami burst into the room. "You disgusting bitch!" Sami spat.

Abigail went to Common Grounds, looking for Chad, who soon emerged from the back room. She greeted him cheerfully and said that she thought they should talk about what had happened between them on New Year's Eve. Chad shrugged it off, but Abigail pointed out that the year before, they'd decided to break up because they were better off as friends -- and she thought maybe they should stick to that resolution. She added that she and Melanie were best friends, but the two of them hadn't talked for months when Melanie and Chad had gotten together.

Chad assured Abigail that Melanie was over him and wouldn't care if they started seeing each other again. He noted that both he and Abigail had experienced rough years. Abigail thanked him for having been such a good friend and helping her get through it. Chad suggested that the two of them try to start fresh and see where things went. Abigail agreed to try -- but only after Nick and Gabi's wedding was over. "I can wait. I mean, you're worth it," Chad reassured her.

A little later, Chad ran into E.J. outside the Brady Pub. Chad thanked his brother for the advice about Abigail, and said that the two of them had enjoyed a nice New Year's Eve together. E.J. unconvincingly replied that he was glad to hear it. Noting E.J.'s downbeat demeanor, Chad asked how things were going with Sami. E.J. divulged that Kristen had caused a bit of a "snafu" because Kristen, had been sleeping with Brady. Chad was taken aback. "Far be it from me to judge when it comes to matters of the heart," E.J. declared. "I'm not judging; I just don't get it," Chad replied. E.J. concurred.

Jennifer was surprised when the doorbell rang and she found Daniel standing on the doorstep, because he wasn't supposed to pick her up for their trip to Chicago for another few hours. Daniel said that he no longer wanted to go to Chicago -- but he didn't want to cancel their date, either. He explained that he'd been scheduled for surgery early the next morning, and suggested that they have dinner at his place instead -- as long as he promised that he wouldn't cook and that they would order pizza instead.

Laughing, Jennifer accepted but wondered why Daniel had really cancelled their trip. Daniel declared that all he really wanted was time alone with Jennifer -- but he didn't want her to think that he was pushing her into anything. He just wanted a chance for them to reconnect. Jennifer assured him that she was ready -- and that she was really looking forward to it. Daniel kissed her gently.

After Daniel had gone, Abigail returned home and helped Jennifer get ready for her date. Abigail reassured her mom that Jack wouldn't want them to mourn for him forever -- and he would want Jennifer to be happy. Hugging Abigail, Jennifer declared that she wanted both of them to be happy. Jennifer then asked how Abigail was and how her New Year's Eve with Chad had been. Abigail insisted that she was fine and the evening had been fine, but Jennifer didn't seem to buy it.

Abigail reassured her mom that she was not dating Chad or anyone else and that she was still a virgin. Jennifer still seemed worried, but Abigail asserted that she felt really good about herself. "I'm proud of you, and I love you," Jennifer declared and then hurried out the door for Daniel's.

At his apartment, Daniel lit a fire and some candles in preparation for his date with Jennifer. Maxine called to tell Daniel that one of his patients was complaining of pain and refused to be seen by anyone but Daniel. Sensing Daniel's frustration, Maxine offered to email the patient's vital signs to Daniel, who could then send in an order for medication online. A grateful Daniel proclaimed that Maxine was an angel.

After he hung up, Daniel scampered over to the bar to decant some wine, which he promptly spilled on his shirt. Cursing himself, he ran into the bedroom to change. When he returned, he finished decanting the wine, then dug out a pizza delivery menu and placed it on a side table next to the wine. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Grinning, Daniel rushed to answer it. As he opened the door, Daniel declared, "I am so glad to --" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Chloe standing on the doorstep.